American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Practice Exam

Natural increase refers to the difference between the number of live births and the number of deaths in a population over a specific period. It is a crucial component of demographic analysis, particularly in understanding population growth and change.

The Cohort Survival Method is a demographic technique that projects future population size based on current age distributions, mortality rates, and birth rates. This method uses natural increase by incorporating birth and death statistics to estimate how many individuals will survive in each age cohort and how many new individuals will be added to the population through births. By factoring in natural increase, the Cohort Survival Method provides a more comprehensive and accurate projection of population trends over time.

In contrast, the other options do not incorporate natural increase in the same direct manner. The economic base focuses on the economic activity of a population rather than demographic changes, input-output analysis is primarily concerned with the flow of goods and services in an economy, and migration statistics deal specifically with the movement of people rather than the natural growth of the population. Therefore, the emphasis on natural increase in the calculations aligns specifically with the use of the Cohort Survival Method in demographic analysis.